NATCHEZ — Being asked to play the same piece three times on his snare drum isn’t something Thaddus Mayberry normally likes to hear, unless the request is coming by a panel of judges deciding his future.

The Natchez High School senior was one of four students with the school’s band who traveled to Lorman to audition for the Alcorn State University marching band.

Mayberry, Cordrion Tucker, Shakia Gaylor and Preston Gooden all eventually received band scholarships to attend the nation’s oldest historically black land-grant university.

The audition, Mayberry said, included playing in front of a panel of judges who evaluated his ability to play a memorized set piece as well as his ability to improvise.

Mayberry walked onto the university’s campus nervous and excited for the opportunity, but some of those emotions quickly faded once he began playing his instrument.

“One of the judges asked me to play the set piece three times because he liked the way I played it so much,” Mayberry said with a smile. “He told me I had one of the top performances they had seen all day, so that made me really happy.”

The comment reaffirmed Mayberry’s decision six years ago to switch from playing the trombone to the snare drum after seeing the popular movie, “Drumline,” which told the story of a fictional historically black college and university marching band.

The judge’s words also assured Mayberry he would be attending the university he’s dreamed of attending his entire life.

“I went to my first Alcorn football game when I was three months old, and I’ve only missed 30 games from then until now,” the 18-year-old said. “That’s the only place I wanted to go.”

Gaylor echoed Mayberry’s response, saying playing before a panel of judges that would decide if she got into Alcorn was initially nerve-racking.

“I was really nervous at first, but after I started, it all kind of went away,” said Gaylor, who plays the clarinet. “After I finished playing, they told me I had done really well and that they were going to offer me a scholarship.”

Containing her excitement, Gaylor said, was the most difficult part of the entire process.

“I didn’t want to just jump up and yell, but I was so excited,” Gaylor said. “When I got into the other room, I started screaming because I was so excited.”

Tucker, who has played the trumpet since his days in the Robert Lewis Middle School band, said entering the audition with confidence was the key for him to succeed.

“I was really happy, but I knew I was going to get in,” Tucker said. “I just love music and playing in the band.”

Gooden, who has been playing the trombone since the fifth grade, said letting his nerves get to him initially worried him before the audition.

“At first, I was so nervous, but then I was finally able to relax when I started playing,” Gooden said. “When they told me I would be getting a scholarship, it felt like all my hard work had finally paid off.”

For second-year Natchez band director Marcus Washington, seeing four of his students get scholarships to attend Alcorn and play in the university’s band was a memorable day.

Washington attended Alcorn and marched in the band before landing the position at Natchez High School and said he instilled the significance of the achievement to his students.

“People show up at Alcorn for the football game, but everyone counts down the time until halftime when they get to see the band,” Washington said. “For them to get to experience that and get this opportunity is just incredible.”